New Neighbor to the North

Reproduced from http://www.MySpace.com/GaddyBergmann

Sunday, December 23, 2007

A New Neighbor to the North

Current mood: thoughtful

A very interesting, but perhaps underreported story, made headlines on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007. The Lakota nation of Indians has withdrawn from 150-year-old treaties it had with the USA. Citing a failure on the part of the US to comply by the treaties, Lakota spokesman and activist Russell Means said that his people are entirely within their rights to withdraw. They now have plans to reorganize their region of America, which includes parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, into a sovereign nation.

I have to say, when I read this, I was happy for the Lakota people. Their betrayal by the American government is legend all over the world, and it's about time their plight was recognized and their cause supported.

Is it treason or sedition to support this decision by the Lakota? No, it's not. True, America did enter the Civil War when the South seceded from the Union. But if the US government did not honor its treaties with the Lakota, then why should the Lakota be expected to honor those treaties? Furthermore, according to Russell Means, this action is entirely legal.

This move is especially relevant when you realize that the Lakota are struggling with great social ills, including high unemployment, high infant mortality, a high suicide rate, and low life expectancy. Why shouldn't the Lakota take steps to rectify their situation? If it means withdrawing from unreliable treaties and forming their own nation, then so be it.

One interesting feature of the new Lakota country would be its national policy. Russell Means says that they would have no taxation, and that they would issue their own driver's licenses and passports. Anyone already living in the five-state region is welcome to join, as long as they renounce their US citizenship. I really wonder how far this movement will go. Will people give up being American to become Lakota? Perhaps the switch would be worth it for many people, Indian and otherwise.

I live in Denver, Colorado, so I am going to follow this story closely in the coming months. This could mean I will have a new neighbor to the north - and one that I would welcome. You can read more about this issue here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317548,00.html

Gaddy Bergmann

http://www.GaddyBergmann.com